stupid light question

[Cliffz]

Folks,
My glass tank cover which is made up of 2 parts both with 2 glass panels hinged with a brown solid plastic hinge separating the 2 glass panels (4 glass panels total) the brown plastic hinge is about an inch wide. Doesn't this block a good chunk of the light bandwidth from hitting the plants below the hinge?

Ok-laugh it up!
Inquiring minds want to know!
Thanks

 

[Sicklid]

I've thought about it too, but unless you are a hyper-hobbyist who can't sleep at night thinking about that little tidbit, I doubt it makes a big difference in your lighting. I think keeping the glass panels clean is more of a concern...

 

[SparKy697]

I second that. I think most of us have the exact same situation and our plants survive.

 

[tropicfishman]

its all good lol

 

[dapellegrini]

Probably not an issue. Most tanks also have a center bar that blocks more light than those hinges. The bigger problem with glass tops is if you let them get dirty. That WILL block a good amount of light.

 

[Cliffz]

folks,
thanks--Now I can sleep!!

 

[zuzecawi]

Glass DOES cut down your lights, quite a bit. Par can be reduced by as much as 20% from CLEAN glass, not to mention what happens if the glass gets dirty and crusted. Sorry, I've lurked for months, but just thought I'd stepin here with two cents. I have reef tanks as well as planted, and in the reef tanks, lighting intensity is a make or break kinda importance. We usually don't run glass between our lamps and the water surface because of the limiting factors, although with certain kinds of lighting, like HQI, glass has to be used with uv coating to prevent uv induced damage (bleaching) in corals. I don't know that anybody in amongst you freshies would ever use halides, (Although I'm tempted to experiment with a 175w 6500K Iwasaki bulb setup over a 40L I've got and see what the plants do with THAT) but still, the knowledge that the glass DOES block a considerable amount of useable PAR (photosythetically active radiation, or light plants/algae/etc. can USE) is important. I don't understand why more fresh water aquariums don't use the same open top suspended lights like we use in reef setups, maybe it's a relic of the old days of single NO bulb fixtures sitting right on the hood, maybe it's a matter of aesthetics. Canopies might look like "Oversized hats" at first, but they make blessed good sense when you consider the gains in light intensity, natural spectrum, and gas exchange at the water surface.

 

[kaz]

is it normal to have the glass panels build up drops of water from I guess it would be the heat? do you guys clean them once a week?

 

[Cliffz]

I clean my glass top once a week with water change. I also have penny wort growing across top shading the right side of tank--time to cut it back!.

any co2 loss/gain without Glass canopy? hmmmmmm

 

[squawkbert]

Silicone sealant can be used to make a good hinge that blocks less light and doesn't heat up like dark plastic does. Wax paper is very handy to have around when doing this...

 

[zuzecawi]

You would lose some CO2 without the glass canopy, I don't think it would be a huge concern for people with pressurized systems, but then, I've never ran CO2 on my planted tanks. It would make for an interesting experiment though.

On the other side, I know that switching to open top on my marine aquarium, while lowering CO2 levels somewhat, did NOT lower them enough to appreciably affect the ph. I hate to say it, I've paid more attention to the reef tank than the planted tank, I guess I'm a lucky person in that my planted tanks always seemed to be pretty self sufficient with regular water changes, even though I'm using apparently outdated methods. More than one way to skin a banana.

 

[Zezmo]

Trapping CO2 in with a glass top could mean less oxygen available for "surface diffusion" into the water.

IMO, unless you have jumpers, go topless.

 

[JustOneMore20]

I've always wondered this too! Good thread. 3/4 of my planted tanks are open top, which I prefer. I have to use glass tops on my 55g, as I've got jumpers. I've always wondered just how much light is blocked by the glass. *cough* I don't clean it often *cough* So that might be one of my problems...

 

[kaz]

if no glass top how about all those little jumping water mist from air bubbles etc doesnt that hit the light and mess it up?

also how about the dust and everything that falls inside the tank, here in los angeles for some reason is a hell of a dusty place, after one week of having no top the surface is so thick u cant see beyond it clearly the tank is in my garage. plus I have a cat which sheds hair like crazy how you deal with those floating hairs from not gettting inside the tank?